Indian Premier League 2012 - Owners in talks to sell Rajasthan Royals

The owners of the Rajasthan Royals are close to selling the majority of the IPL franchise to a Kolkata-based businessman for $200 million, ESPNcricinfo has learned. However, the deal still requires the approval of the BCCI. Should it go through, it would be the first sale of an IPL franchise in the league's five-year history.

Mannoj Jain, the founder and promoter of the Jain Group of Industries, has offered to buy 88.3% stake from three of the four shareholders in the franchise - Tresco International (Suresh Chellaram and family), which owns a 44.2% stake, Emerging Media (Manoj Badale), which owns 32.4% and Blue Water Estate Ltd (Lachlan Murdoch), the eldest son of Rupert Murdoch, which owns 11.7% - according to a person familiar with the developments. 

The deal values the Royals at $226.50 million, almost three-and-a-half times more than the $67 million the owners paid for the franchise at the original auction in 2008. Raj Kundra and Shilpa Shetty, who bought an 11.7% stake for $15.4 million in 2009, will retain their share in the franchise. The deal with Jain raises the value of their holdings to $26.50 million, an increase of 72% over a three-year period. News of the deal was first reported by the Economic Times on March 20. 

Jain told Times of India on Wednesday that his group wants to buy the franchise but are waiting on the board to evaluate the proposal. "The franchise-owners are willing to sell their stake and are currently in talks with the BCCI," he said. "Everything now depends on the BCCI." 

A top board official said that the BCCI was reluctant to give consent to the deal because there is a strong opinion that Lalit Modi, the former IPL commissioner who was suspended by the BCCI for alleged irregularities during his tenure, might financially benefit from the sale. This is due to unsubstantiated allegations in the past around the possibility that Modi may have hidden stakes in the Royals' ownership. "We suspect if the deal is allowed to go through Modi can benefit financially and some in the BCCI at least do not want that to happen," the official told ESPNcricinfo. 

When contacted, the management of the franchise said they were not aware of a deal and were focused on getting ready for the IPL season that begins on April 4.

According to the Jain group's website, Jain has businesses in infrastructure, steel, power and real estate. The company made a profit of Rs 694.26 million after tax for the year ended 2009-10. Among their projects is the Kolkata Sports City, a sports township set on 250 acres in Rajarhat. 

The Royals have had something of a chequered history in the IPL. Led by Shane Warne, the team won the inaugural tournament in 2008, surprising many in the process. Two years later the BCCI abruptly terminated the franchise from the league, along with the Kings XI Punjab, on charges of transgressing shareholding and ownership norms that threatened to "shake the very foundation of the tender process". However, the Royals fought their expulsion in the Bombay High Court and won, with the court ordering they be restored to the league with all their rights and privileges intact. The court also referred the case to arbitration, the proceedings of which are still on.

IPL 2012 - Ganguly to lead Sahara Pune Warriors

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly will be leading Sahara Pune Warriors in the IPL's fifth season in the absence of the injured Yuvraj Singh. Ganguly, who joined the Warriors in the second half of their campaign last year, had already been appointed as a mentor by the franchise and will be involved in multi-tasking in the absence of a head coach. 

"His experience will count for the team in the absence of Yuvraj," Abhijit Sarkar, corporate head at Sahara group that owns the franchise, told ESPNcricinfo. "We need someone who can motivate the team. And Ganguly is active as a player and he can perform the leadership duties better than someone sitting on the bench outside the field," Sarkar said. Former Australia opener Geoff Marsh, who was Warriors' head coach last year, had to leave after the franchise decided not to renew his contract. 

The Warriors, who were involved in a bitter dispute with the BCCI, ahead of the IPL players' auction, have brought the South African pair of Allan Donald and Paddy Upton to the coaching bench. Donald, the former South African fast-bowling spearhead, will be the bowling coach while Upton, who was part of Gary Kirsten's coaching staff for India till last year's World Cup, will serve as mental-skills coach while simultaneously performing the duties of a fielding coach and also a trainer. 

One of the team officials said Ganguly was the biggest name on the team roaster in the absence of Yuvraj and he had the capability of bringing together players from different continents and make them work for one goal. "To get the best out of international players and domestic Indian players and make them work for one goal is a difficult task and someone like Ganguly, a former India captain, who has a lot of respect was in a good position to do it," the official said. Also, he felt, Ganguly's experience at Kolkata Knight Riders in the first three years of the IPL, would allow him to perform the leadership role easily . 

Meanwhile the Warriors' squad will start their camp from March 26 at their new home ground in Pune. Upton will multi-task as fielding coach, mental skills coach and even as a trainer.

IPL news - Rajasthan Royals sign Owais Shah

Rajasthan Royals have signed Owais Shah, the England batsman, as a replacement for their former captain Shane Warne, who retired from all forms of the game during last season's IPL. 

Shah, who has been part of the Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Daredevils and the now defunct Kochi Tuskers Kerala in previous tournaments, was instrumental in the Hobart Hurricane's run to the semi-finals of the Big Bash League this season. He averaged an impressive 70.50 from eight games, scoring 282 runs at a strike rate of 149.20. 

 

"We are delighted to have signed on Owais Shah to play for the Rajasthan Royals," Raghu Iyer, the chief executive of the Royals, said in a statement. "He is one of the most exciting batsmen in the world and has been particularly outstanding in the shorter forms of the game." Shah should slot into the middle order, where he could be a replacement for Ross Taylor as the team's finisher. Taylor was traded to the Delhi Daredevils last month. 

Shah was originally bought by the Delhi Daredevils for $275,000 in the 2009 player auction but did not get a game. Statistically, his best season came in 2010, after he was traded to the Knight Riders. He averaged 57.50 from five games that year, leading the team in that category. In 2011, he was bought by the Kerala for $200,000 but only played three games, making 26 runs from two innings with a strike-rate of 173.33. 

He was unsold in the 2012 player auction after the Kochi franchise was terminated by the BCCI and a number of players added to this year's auction list. Warne captained the Royals for the first four seasons before pulling down the curtain on his IPL career. Rahul Dravid has succeeded him as captain.

IPL 2012 News - Deccan Chargers sign five domestic players

Deccan Chargers have added five domestic players - Abhishek Jhunjhunwala, Tekkami Atchuta Rao Syed Quadri, Veer Pratap Singh and Sneha Kishore - to their squad for the 2012 IPL. 

Middle-order batsman Jhunjhunwala, 29, who has played for the Pune Warriors and Rajasthan Royals in past seasons, and medium pacer Veer both play for Bengal. The 19-year-old Pratap made his first-class debut in December 2011, taking 2 for 66 in the first innings against Delhi. 

Quadri, 30, was Hyderabad's second leading scorer in the Ranji Trophy this season, with 390 runs at an average of 65. He was part of the Royals squad in 2010. Allrounder Atchuta Rao, 25, had an impressive Ranji season for Andhra, leading his side with 19 wickets at an average of 17.84. 

His domestic team-mate, the 18-year-old Kishore, made his List A debut in the Vijay Hazare Trophy last month. According to a statement from the Chargers, Kishore was "hand-picked" by former India left-arm spinner Venkatapathy Raju, who tested a total of six left-arm spinners from around the country.

"Our focus is primarily to discover and groom young talent from the domestic circuit," Venkat Reddy, the chief operating officer of the Chargers, said. "These players will provide more depth and variety to the Deccan Chargers squad."